Gearing.



No. 709,287. Patented Sept. I6, I902. a H. L. wmem.

GIEARINGT.

(Application filed Jul 24,1901.)

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I m: News PiTERS 9 Pnofoumo..wasnmc1on o c Patented Sept. 16, I902.

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GEARING. (Application filed July 24, 1901.) (No Modl.)

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m. nuovquwcf. WASHINGTON o c Patented Sept. l6, I902. H. L. WRIGHT.

6 E A BIN 6. (Application filed July 94, 1901.)

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UNITED STATES ATENT FFicE.

HARRY L. WRIGHT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE H. CROPSEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 709,287, dated September 16, 1902.

Application filed July 24, 1901- Serial No. 69,603. (No model.)

of Illinois, haveinventeda Gearing, of which the following is a specification. ,7

This invention relates to engines and relates particularly to engines. of the general type comprising a reciprocating head, a spirally-grooved driving or actuating shaft, and projections on said head which engage the grooves on said shaft, thereby converting the reciprocating motion of the head into a continuous rotary motion.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide an engine of this type which may be reversed and one in which the operative'parts of the converting mechanism are accessible and generally to provide an engine of this type which will be simple,strong,and efficient.

An engine of my invention-consists of the various features, combinations offeatures, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure 1 is a side view of an engine ofmy invention partly in section. zontal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views, and Fig. 6 is a detail of a modification of one feature of the engine.

Referring now to the drawings, A designates the base or bed of the engine, A the cylinder, and A the piston thereof, all of which as regards their general features may be of any usual or approved construction.

The engine-ports are controlled by a valve A which, as shown, is a simple piston-valve. The form of valve and operating mechanism are immaterial, however, and may be varied as desired. I

Secured upon the bed A in alinement with the cylinder A is a casing B, fitted to and longitudinally movable in suitable guides B, in which is a cross-head B said cross-head being rigidly connected to the" piston A by rods B The bearings of said rods in the head of the cylinder A are providedwith the usual packing-glands b,which operate to prevent leakage from said cylinder. As shown, the guides B are provided with what may be Fig. 2 is a horitermed gibs b, which are removable and may be replaced in case they wear.

Revolubly mounted axially of the casing B is a shaft C, one end of which projects beyond said casing and has secured thereto a fiy-wheel C. As shown, also, said shaft C is provided with antifriction-bearings 0. R0- tation is imparted to the shaft C from the cross head B in the following manner: Formed on the shaft C are right and left spiral grooves, which are connected at their ends so as to be continuouswith each other. In the preferable construction shown there are two sets of such right and left hand spiral grooves diametrically opposite to each other; but my invention contemplates the use of a single set of such spiral grooves, if desired. Two sets located, as described, relatively to each other equalize the strain on the crosshead B and the shaft C and also increase the strength of the driving connection between said cross-head and shaft. Where two sets of grooves are employed, one set is preferably cut deeper than the other for reasons hereinafter apparent. In the drawings the right and left hand'sections of the deeper groove are designated by the reference-letters 0 0 respectively, and those of the shallower groove by the reference-letters c 0 respectively. The sections of said grooves run into each other at 0 the grooves being rounded instead of coming to a point.

Mounted so as to rotate freely in the crosshead B are stub-shafts C formed on the inner ends of which are tongues or projections 1; c of which in the construction shown the tongue or projection c is fitted to and adapted to run in the deeper grooves c 0 extending below the bottom of the shallower grooves c c, and the tongue or projection c is fitted to and adapted to run in the shallower grooves c 0. With this construction it is obvious that disengagement of the tongue or projection 0" from the grooves c 0 will be impossible when passing intersections of said grooves with the shallower grooves 0 0 Preferably also the tongues or projections c c are considerably longer than the widths of said spiral grooves, and the ends thereof are rounded or beveled, as shown at c thus avoiding all possibility of said tongues or projections catching in the grooves other than those to whichthey are fitted and intended to mum at the intersections of the grooves. The difference in the depths of the grooves c o and c o is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3 of the drawlu s.

As shown, the stub-shafts C are provided with ball-bearings, which are'adapted to be adjusted, by means of cones c, threaded to studs 0 on the outer ends of said stub-shafts. Lock-nuts c, threaded to the studs 0 outside of. the cones c maintain said cones in fixed adjustment. As shown, also, the bearings for said stub-shafts C are formed in bosses C removably secured to the crosshead B thus making provision for assembling the mechanism.

-With the described construction it is obvious that reciprocation of the cross-head B will, through the medium of the tongues or projections 0 0 running in the spiral grooves c c and 0 c impart a rotary movement to the shaft 0, also that when the cross-head moving in either direction reaches the end of its stroke said tongues or projections following the sections 0 of the grooves Will pass from the right-hand sections 0 0 into the left-hand sections o c, or vice versa, whereby the return stroke of said cross-head B will operate to impart rotary motion to the shaft 0 in the same direction as before. Thus said shaft will be driven continuouslyin the same direction. With this construction also it is obviousthat the power being shut off from the power-cylinder rotation of the shaft 0 from the momentumof the fly-wheel O or from any other cause will reciprocate the cross-head B and the piston A until said shaft comes to rest.

In the preferable construction shown the casing B is entirely closed at its sides, bottom, and ends, leaving an opening in the top thereof, which is adapted to be closed by a plate Ofiremovablysecured thereto. The opening in said casing B provides for assembling the operative parts contained therein and also -allows access to the interior of said casing when the plate 0 is removed for purposes of repairs, oiling, &c.

In Fig. .6 of the drawings I have shown a modified form of tongue or projection on the stub-shafts G which I will now describe, the object of said modified construction being to reduce the friction between said projections and the grooves in which they run. In said modified construction said tongues or projections are formed by wheels or disks O revolubly mounted in suitable slots or openings formed in the inner ends of the stub-shafts C in such positions that the edges thereof will project at the ends of said stub-shafts so as to engage the grooves c c and c o in substantially the same manner as the projections c 0 as hereinbefore described. As shown, said wheels or disks 0 are revolubly mounted on pins 0 the ends of which are secured in the stub-shafts O on opposite sides of the slots or openings therein. In the preferable construction shown also ball-bearings are provided between the sides of said wheels or disks C and the sides of the slots in said stub-shafts, which will operate in a familiar manner to very materially lessen the friction between said wheels or disks and the stubshafts C due to the side thrust on said wheels or disks. As shown, the ball-races or grooves of said ball-bearings 0 are eccentric to the .pins 0 but they may equally well be made concentric therewith, if desired.

As shown, each section 0, c c and c of the spiral grooves formed in the shaft 0 makes two complete turns of said shaft. Each full stroke of the piston A and of the cross-head B will therefore impart four complete revolutions to said shaft 0. This rotation may, however, be varied in any given case as desired to meet varying requirements.

As shown, the Valve A is operated by means of eccentric connection of the valvestem D with a shaft D, revolubly mounted in suitable hearings, to which rotation is imparted by means of a beveled gear D secured thereto, which engages a beveled gear D secured to the shaft 0, the rotation being such that the revolutionsof said shaft 0, corresponding to a half-stroke of the piston A will impart a half-stroke to said valve. the present case the gear D has four times as many teeth as the gear D Thus each two revolutions of said shaft 0 will impart a halfstroke to said valve. By properly adjusting the eccentric connection between said valvestem D and-the shaft D and the lap and lead power-cylinder A it is obvious that any desired admission and exhaust may be secured.

When the engine is designed to run continuously in one direction, the valve-stem D may be connected directly to a single eccentric on the shaft D. In the preferable construction shown,- however, said valve-stem is connected to said shaft D by means of a link-motion, comprising a link D", the opposite ends of which are connected to difierent eccentrics D D, secured to said shaft at different angles in a familiar manner. The link D is designed to he raised and lowered by means of 'a lever D adapted to be manually operated by the engineer. By raising and lowering said link D provision is thus made for reversing the direction of rotation of the shaft 0 according to the familiar principle of linkmotions as applied to valve-gears.

In order to reduce the friction between engaging operative parts to the greatest extent possible, provision is made for delivering practically continuous streams of oil upon the guides B and the cross-head B To effect this, pipes e e are provided, which run longitudinally over the guides B and over the path of travel of the cross-head B said pipes being provided with openings through which oil is discharged therefrom onto said guides and cross-head, oil being supplied to said pipeswhen the engine is running from any suitable source. As shown, oil is supplied to said pipes in the following manner: Inclosing the gears D D is a casingE, which extends close to the sides of said gears. Above said gears I) D said casing E com m unicates with the pipes e e, and connected to said casing below said gearsis a pipe 6 which extends to within a short distance of the bottom of the casing B. When the shaft 0 rotates in the proper direction, the gears D D will operate to create a partial vacuum in the casing E beneath said gears, which will opcrate to draw oil from the bottom of the casing 13 and deliver it to the pipes e e, whence it will be discharged and run again to the bottom of said casing B. Thus oil contained in said casing B will be used over and over to.

lubricate the working parts in the desired manner. Before starting the engin a quantity of oil is poured into the casing B, so that the level of oil therein will be somewhat above the lower end of the pipe 6 The casing B being closed, no oil can be thrown outside thereof by the reciprocating cross-h ead.

I claim- 1. In an engine, the combination of a reciprocating head the body of which comprises separate sections detachablysecured together, a shaft revolubly mounted parallel with the direction of motion of said head, having a spiral groove or grooves comprising right and left hand sections connected at their ends, a stub shaft or shafts revolubly mounted in a detachable section or sections of. said head, and a tongue or tongues thereon which engage said groove or grooves, substantially as described.

t 2. In an engine, the combination of a reciprocating head, a shaft revolubly mounted parallel with the direction of motion of said head,

and having a spiral groove or grooves comprising right and left hand sections connected at their ends, a stub shaft or shafts revolubly and adjustably mounted in bearings in a removable part of said head, and a tongue or tongues thereon which engage said spiral groove or grooves, said tongue or tongues being longer than the width of said grooves, substantially as described.

3. In an engine, the combination of a reciprocating head, a shaft revolubly mounted parallel with the direction of motion of said head, and having spiral grooves comprising right and left hand sections connected at their ends, said grooves being of diiferent depths, stubshafts revolubly mounted in said head and tongues thereon which engage said grooves, the tongue of each stub-shaft being proportioned to the depth of the groove Within which it is designedto travel, substantially as described.

4. In an engine, the combination of a tight casing constructed to contain a lubricant and provided on its upper side with an opening through which the interior thereof is accessible, a removable plateto close said opening,

guides or ways in said casing, a head longitudinally movable in said guides, a shaft revolubly mounted in said casing parallel with said ways and having spiral grooves comprisingright and left hand sections connected at their ends, a stub shaft or shafts revolubly mounted in said head and havinga tongue or tongues to engage the spiral grooves the reciprocation of the head serving IO distribute to the moving parts the lubricant contained within the casing, substantially as described.

5. In an engine, the combination of a tight casing, through an opening in which the interior thereof is accessible, a removable plate which closes said opening, guides or ways in said casing, a head fitted to and longitudinally movable in said guides,a shaft revolubly mounted in said casing parallel with said ways, and having a spiral groove or grooves comprising right and left hand sections connected at their ends, a stub shaft or shafts revolubly mounted in said head, a tongue or tongues on said stub shaft or shafts which engage said spiral groove or grooves, oil-pipes which extend over said guides or ways and over said head adapted to distribute oil upon said guides or ways and upon said head, and means to supply oil to said pipes, substantially as described.

(5 In an engine, the combination of a tight casing provided with an opening through which the interior thereof is accessible, a removable plate which closes the opening in said casing, guides in said casing, a head fitted to and longitudinally movable in said guides, a shaft re volubly mounted in said casing parallel with said ways, and having a spiral groove or grooves comprising right and left band sections connected at their ends, a stub shaft or shafts revolubly mounted in said head, a

tongue or tongues thereon which engage said spiral groove or grooves, oil-pipes which extend over said guides and over said head adapted to discharge oil thereupon and a pump within said casing operated by said spirally-grooved shaft adapted to deliver oil from the bottom of said casing to said pipes, substantially as described.

'7. The combination with a reciprocating motor, and a cross-head reciprocated thereby, of guidesin which said cross-head is movable, a shaft revolubly mounted parallel with said guides, and having spiral grooves comprising right and left hand sections connected at their ends, said grooves being of different depths, stub-shafts revolubly mounted in said crosshead and tongues thereon which engage and are proportioned to the depth of their respective grooves, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a reciprocating motor, and a cross-head reciprocated thereby, of guides in which said cross-head is movably supported, a shaft revolubly mounted parallel with said guides, and having aspiral groove or grooves comprising right and left hand sections connected at their ends, a stub ICS shaft or shafts revolubly mounted in said cross-head, a tongue or tongues thereon which engage said groove or grooves and operative connection between said grooved shaft and a part of the motor for controlling the movement of the motor, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a reciprocating motor, and a cross-head reciprocated thereby, of guides in which said cross-head is movably supported, a shaft revolubly mounted parallel with said guides, and having a spiral groove or grooves comprising right and left hand sections connected at their ends, a stub shaft or shafts revolubly mounted in. said cross-head, a tongue or tongues thereon which engage said spiral groove or grooves, a transverse shaft, a gear thereon, a gear on said spirally-grooved shaft and eccentric connection between said transverse shaft and a part of the motor for controlling the movement of the motor, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a reciprocating motor and a cross-head reciprocated thereby, of guides in which said cross-head is movably supported, a shaft revolubly mounted parallel with said cross-head guides, and having a spiral groove or grooves comprising right and left hand sections connected at their ends, a stub shaft or shafts revolubly mounted in said cross-head, a tongue or tongues thereon which engage said groove or grooves, a transverse shaft, a gear thereon engaging a gear on the grooved shaft, and eccentric connections between said transverse shaft and a moving part of the motor (embraeing'a linkmotion) whereby the engine may be reversed, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a motor imparting reciprocating motion,of a tight casing provided with an opening through which the interior thereof is accessible, a removable plate which closes said opening, guides in said casing, a cross-head fitted to and longitudinally movable in said guides, connection between the reciprocating part of the motor and crosshead, a shaft revolubly mounted in said casing parallel with said guides, having a spiral groove or grooves comprising right and left hand sections connected at theirends, a stub shaft or shafts revolubly mounted in said cross-head,a tongue or tongues thereon which engage said groove or grooves, connection between'said spirally-grooved shaft and a inoving part of the motor said connection comprising a shaft and gear thereon, a gear on said spirally-grooved shaft, a casing which incloses said gears, a pipe which leads from said gear-casing adjacent to the bottom of the casing inclosing said cross-head and adjunctive parts and perforated pipes which lead from said casing over the cross-head and crosshead guides, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature, in presenceof two subscribing witnesses, this 11th day of July, A. D. 1901.

HARRY L. WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

M. S. SOMERVILLE, JOHN A. MOKEOWN. 

